Operating control device



Sept. 16, 1924. 1,508,607

' E. J. MARTEL OPERATING CONTROL DEVICE Fil ed July 12 1920 2Sheets-Sheet l czgarJMav-i'ez.

Sept. -16, 1924.

1,508,? E. J. MARTEL OPERATING CONTROL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJuly 12 1920 Edgar/3 LE Mm -E@Z.

Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES npeaa J. MAMEL, or LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE OPERATINGCONTROL DEVICE.

Application filed July 12; 1920. Serial No. 395,652.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, EDGAR J. MAR'rnL, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Laconia, in the countyof'Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement inOperating Control Devices, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to controllin devices for motor vehicles andparticu arly to the switches controlling the electric currents and partsoperated thereby.

.In the drawings of the articular embodiment of my invention. ilustrated and described in this application,

Fig. 1 is a lan of my invention shown mounted on t e uadrant of thesteering post of an automo ile;

Fig. 2, a plan of the base of the housing or case, with the coverremoved;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the control with the housing partly brokenaway;

Fig. 4, a vertical cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a diagrammatic plan of the wiring in the base, connecting theseveral terminals and switches;

Fig. 6, a plan of the rear signal control case, part of the housingbeing broken away;

Fig. 7, a similar figure with the cover removed; and

Fig. 8, a vertical section on the line 8-8, Fig.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, my improved control, as illustrated,comprises a base member 1, with a cover 2 forming a housing, and adaptedto be secured by any suitable means to any convenient support,

preferably to'the quadrant 4 carrying the spark and gas levers 5 and 6respectively. By mounting the control as above noted, it is placed inthe most convenient possible location for use by the driver, as he canthus operate the principal devices without releasing either hand fromthe steering wheel. The controlling devices, herein Fig. 5, comprise amain ignition switch 7, a light switch 8, a horn or si nal switch 9, andthe light regulating switc 10, the latter switch adapted, as will beresently described, to furnish either a brig t or dim light.

Referrin particularly to Fig. 5, it will be noted t at the base is shownprovided with five terminals 12, 22, 26, 27, 32, which may be of anydesired type. Here these termlnals are in the 'Jrm of posts. Post 12 isconnected by a wire a with a battery I) and is the source of current.From post 12' awire oleads to the contact 13, which, with the ad acentcontact 14, form parts of the switch 7. This switch comprises a body 15,v

ich receive guide pins 19 in closed, supplies current for the usualheadlights of the car.

From the contact 14 the wire e leads to the post 22 and thence to theignition system 1, not shown.

From the contact 21 a wire 7 leads to the contact 23 which, with theadjacent contacts 24 and 25 are parts of the switch 10. This switch,also like switch 7 in construction, is adapted to connect the contacts23 and 24, and when closed will furnish current by osition by slots 18at either means of the line i, to post 26, and from thence to thelighting system L, not shown. When this switch is t rown as shown in-Fig. 2, to connect the contacts 23 and 25,

current will be sup lied by means of the line 9, to terminal 2 andthence b means of the line It through the dimming evice as.

a resistance 28 to the light not shown, D.

The line a also runs to a termlnal 29 which, with its adjacent terminal30, constitute art of the horn or signal sw1tch 9 which is shown in Fig.2 as open. This switch is operated by pushin it inwardly against thespring '3l,-and w en closed establishes a connection between the line 0and line j to the post 32, thence by the line I: to the horn H, notshown. In each case the contact block 17 is helddown upon the contactsby a' spring 33 secured to the switch body. The body of the horn switch9 has, upon its SFig. 2) left hand edge, a notch 34 w.;ich wil engagethe edge of the section 35 of the side of the housing and retain theswitch closed and will thus provide a continuous blowing of the horn.The switch 10 is locked in desired position by the spring 36 switchbodies and lock them, except the ignition switch, in either open orclosed positions. The ignition switch can be locked in either open orclosed position. This locking member 39 is pressed down into lockingposition by the bolt of the lock 46 controlled bya suitable key.

Extended upwardly and laterally Fig. 3, from the cover of the housin isa horn like member 47 carrying a switch box 48 with a semi-trans arentcover 49, which is thus positioned 'rectly over the steering post. Inthis switch box, see. Figs. 6, 7 and .8, is a post 50, the lower end ofwhich is 'ournaled-in a bar 51 extended across the x, the upperend beingjournaled in the cover 49. This post carries an operating lever 52 uponthe outside of the cover. The post also carries a switch blade 53adapted, as rotated, to engage either of the pairs of contacts 54 and55, 56 and 57, 58 and 59, 60 and 61, as the case may be. From thecontacts 54, 57, 59, 61, wires I lead to the ignition system, not shown.Wires m also lead from the contacts 55, 56, 58, 60, to differentoperatingsignals, not shown. f

As indicated in Fig. 7, the wire m from contact 55 leads to any desiredbacking signal, wire m from contact 56 leads to a signal indicating thatthe driver is to turn to the right, wire m from contact 58 leads to thestop signal, and the corresponding wire from contact 60, leads to thesignal indicating that the driver is to turn to the left. It will benoticed that the cover of the switch box is illuminated by a lamp 61connected by a wire 62 with the ignition system so that the driver canalways at night the position of the lever 52 for displalytilngthevproper signal.

e switch control case as shown is com- Y pact in construction, with theswitch handles 'rections as the wheel. The spark and gas knee is stillvarying somewhat in len h according to the position of the switc u n thecase, and it possesses a distinct a vantage over any other constructionof which I have any knowledge. I

After one has driven agcar for some time the right and left hands becomeaccustomed to the movement in oppositecircular paths corresponding tothe ath of movement of the steeringwheel an it is an advantage tohavethe switch control handles or bars so ositioned as to move generallyin the same mon fulcrum point, and all to be operated generally ina'curvilinear path correspondin to the wheel rim.

0 obviate this objection and at the same time to retain so far asossible the advantage of having the switc es move nerally in pathscorresponding to those of t e wheel rim, I have so arranged the switchesthat two of them, to wit, the ignition and light switches are operatedby a lateral movement of the hand correspondingtgenerally to the usualmovement of the le that portion of the wheel rim adjacent the driversbod and which is commonly grasped by t e left hand for steering purses.The horn and 1i ht switches are operated by a forward an back movementof the hand correspondin path of movement of t e ad'acent portion of thewheel rim which woul be toward or from the drivers body, andcorresponding to the eneral movement of the left han when t e steeringwheel is grasped at a point thereof at the left of and somewhat forwardof the drivers bod In this way I obtain the lowing in a general way thepathy-of movement of the steerin wheel to which the left hand withgenerally to the advantage of :01,

hand is aceustome and at the sametime locate the switches sufiicientlyfar apart and distinctively as to position, to avoid the danger ofmistaking one switch for another when the are to be operated hurriedly.In the rawin Y Fi 1, the variation in the length of t "e sw tch handlesis shown, but it will be obvious that the length of the switch handles,in practice, may be All drivers of automobiles recognize the convenienceof having the switch controls located in a convenient position above thesteering wheel as distinguished from the location upon the steering tand at the front thereof requiring a a red and more or less indefinitemotion of the hand or finger to operate them. This permits e o ration ofthe frequently used switcliz s without releasing control of the steeringwheel. This same desirability of convenfurther eflected and realized bythe abovelocation of the switch handles, having in mind also thedirection of operation of the same and making it harmonize .so far aspossible with the general direction a of operating the wheel to whichthe hand is accustomed.

The illuminated signal case for the driving signals is a novel featurewhich is advantageously combined in the compact construction of theswitch control case, and

also conveniently located for operation in connection therewith, andalso for observation. The illuminated dial facilitates driving at nightand ensures the correct posi- 1 timing of the signal lever relative tothe several contacts for positive operation of the signals.

It will be obvious that my invention is not limited in all details tothe illustrative embodimentherein shown and described.

Claims--- 1. A switch control case for automobiles having switchestherein and adapted to be positioned at one side of the steering postand supported thereby, and having also a laterally extended horn member"with an illuminated switch control case thereon and switches thereinpositioned over the steering post head.

2. A switch control case for automobiles adapted to be supported by thesteering post at one side thereof, and having .swltches therein'operable in the same general plane as the steering wheel and havingalso a laterally extended horn member with an i1- luminated switchcontrol case with switches therein positioned over the steering posthead.

3. An operating control device for autoj mobiles comprising a base, ahousing, switches arranged marginally of the base with their ends in'the same vertical plane, and a swinging angular lock member on the basefor securing the several parts in position. 1 i at. The switch controlcase for automobiles comprisin a base, a housing therefor, aplurality'ofpivoted switches, a pluralit of sliding switches, each switch member aapted to project one end into locking position, and a lock for securingthe switches in said posit-ion.

5. An operating control mechanism for automobiles com rising a base, ahousing thereon, a pivoted switch member, a rotary switch member, thesliding and pivoted switch members conswitch member, a sliding structedand arranged to project one end into locking position and a joint switchlocking member for so securing the switch members.

6. An operating control mechanism for automobiles comprising a base, ahousing thereon, a lock for securing the housin to the base, a pivotedswitch member, a sli ing switch member, a rotary switch member, thesliding and pivoted switch members constructed and arranged to projectone end into locking position and a joint switch locking member for sosecuring the switch members.

7 An operating control mechanism for automobiles comprising a base, ahousing with an illuminated chamber thereon, alock for securing thehousings to the base, a pivoted switch member and a sliding switchmember in one housing constructed and arranged to project one end eachinto adjacent positions, a swinging locking member to lock said switchmembers in said positions, and a signal switch in the chamber withilluminating means therefor.

8. An operating control mechanism for automobiles comprising a base 1,housings 2, 47, thereon, a pivoted switch'10 and push switch 9, slidingswitches 7, 8 in one housing and the angular locking member 39 therefor,the switch member 53 in the second housing and signal circuits5455,'56-57, 58-59 and 60-61, in said housing and illuminating means 62therefor.

9. A car operating control mechanism ity of switches in the housing,part of which are constructed and arranged to work at right angles tothe others and a joint locking member for locking the switches in thelane. where the operating path of some 0 the switches crosses theoperating path of other switches.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- EDGAR J. MARTEL.

